Church · Lingya
Holy Rosary Cathedral
玫瑰聖母聖殿主教座堂
Photo: Sean Chiu, CC BY-SA 4.0Taiwan's oldest Catholic church and the cathedral of the Diocese of Kaohsiung, a Gothic and Romanesque building by the Love River.
History
Spanish Dominicans bought the land in December 1859 and built a thatched mission house. By 1863 it had been rebuilt in brick and coral stone, and that year a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary arrived from Spain. The present church was completed in 1931, became a cathedral in 1948 and was made a minor basilica in 1995. Its address is in Lingya District, on the boundary with Cianjin, and locals often call it the Cianjin Catholic Church (前金天主堂).
Eat nearby
港園牛肉麵Gang Yuan Beef Noodles
Queues form at opening time at this no-frills Yancheng beef noodle hall. Get the beef noodles, dry-tossed or in soup, or the braised pork-trotter noodles.
牛老大涮牛肉（自強二路）NIU LAO DA (Zihciang 2nd Road)
Open until midnight, this lively beef hot pot house serves hand-cut fresh Tainan beef for dipping in a light, sweet broth. Add a stir-fried beef plate.
南豐魯肉飯Nan Feng Braised Pork Rice
Open from morning to near midnight, this 60-plus-year-old rice shop sits by the Ziqiang night market area. Order the braised pork rice with a lion's-head meatball and braised cabbage.
菜粽李Caizong Li
This shop opens early and makes bamboo-leaf peanut rice dumplings fresh each day. Eat one plain first, then with sauce and peanut powder, and have miso soup alongside.
小堤咖啡Hsiao Ti Coffee
A 40-plus-year-old alley café often called Yancheng's oldest. Order a fresh-brewed black coffee and the toast topped with a soft egg and a dash of soy sauce.
高雄牛乳大王Kaohsiung Milk King
This 1960s Kaohsiung shop claims to have invented papaya milk. Order one, and add a thick French toast if you're there for breakfast or a late snack.